Gérard Houllier facts for kids
Houllier in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gérard Paul Francis Houllier | ||
| Date of birth | 3 September 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Thérouanne, France | ||
| Date of death | 14 December 2020 (aged 73) | ||
| Place of death | Paris, France | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1959–1968 | Hucqueliers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1968–1969 | Alsop | ||
| 1969–1971 | Hucqueliers | ||
| 1971–1980 | Le Touquet | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1973–1976 | Le Touquet | ||
| 1976–1982 | Nœux-les-Mines | ||
| 1982–1985 | Lens | ||
| 1985–1988 | Paris Saint-Germain | ||
| 1992–1993 | France | ||
| 1994–1996 | France U18 | ||
| 1996–1997 | France U20 | ||
| 1998 | Liverpool (joint with Roy Evans) | ||
| 1998–2004 | Liverpool | ||
| 2005–2007 | Lyon | ||
| 2010–2011 | Aston Villa | ||
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Gérard Paul Francis Houllier was a famous French football manager and player. He was born on 3 September 1947 and passed away on 14 December 2020. He is best known for leading Liverpool to an amazing "cup treble" in 2001. This included winning the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup.
He also managed other big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Lens in France. Later, he guided Lyon to win two French league titles. In 2010, he became the manager of Aston Villa in England. Gérard Houllier also coached the French national team for a short time. He helped with the 1998 FIFA World Cup and worked with UEFA and FIFA on technical committees.
After leaving Aston Villa in 2011 due to heart problems, he took on a new role. From 2012 until his death, Houllier was in charge of global football for Red Bull. This meant he oversaw clubs like Red Bull Salzburg in Austria and RB Leipzig in Germany. He also became a technical director for women's football clubs in 2020.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Gérard Houllier was born in Thérouanne, France. He started studying English at Lille University. However, a serious illness in his family meant he had to stop full-time studies. He began working as a school teacher while finishing his degree part-time.
In 1969, as part of his studies, he spent a year in Liverpool, England. He worked as an assistant at Alsop Comprehensive School. During this time, he watched his first Liverpool F.C. match. It was a huge 10–0 win against Dundalk in 1969. He also played for a local amateur team called Alsop. Even though he loved football, he never became a professional player himself. Before becoming a full-time manager in 1973, he was a deputy headmaster at a school in Arras.
Managerial Career Highlights
Early Coaching Days in France
Gérard Houllier began his full-time coaching career as a player-manager for Le Touquet in 1973. From 1976 to 1982, he was the head coach of Nœux-les-Mines, an amateur club. Despite not having many resources, he helped the team get promoted to a higher division.
He then moved to Lens in 1982. He led them to promotion to the top French league and helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup. In 1985, he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The very next year, PSG won the French league title under his leadership.
In 1988, Houllier became the technical director and assistant for the French national team. He became the main manager in 1992. However, he resigned in November 1993 after France failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He stayed as technical director until 1998, also coaching France's junior teams. In 1996, his under-18 team won the European Under-18 Championship. Many young players he coached, like David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry, later became part of France's winning team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Leading Liverpool to Glory
In July 1998, Houllier was invited to become a joint manager of Liverpool with Roy Evans. This arrangement did not work out well. Roy Evans left in November 1998, leaving Houllier in sole charge of the team.
Houllier started a big plan to rebuild the team. He wanted to bring more discipline to the squad and introduce a modern, European style of play. In 1999, he sold several older players and brought in eight new ones. Key players like Sami Hyypiä, Dietmar Hamann, and Stéphane Henchoz joined. He also focused on developing young talents like Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, and Steven Gerrard. The club's training facilities were also greatly improved.
The team continued to improve in 2000 with more new signings. All this hard work paid off in the 2000–01 season. Liverpool achieved a fantastic "cup treble" by winning the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Cup. They also finished third in the Premier League, which meant they qualified for the Champions League. In August 2001, Liverpool added two more trophies: the Charity Shield against Manchester United and the UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich.
In October 2001, Houllier became very ill during a match. He had to have emergency surgery for a serious heart condition. With the help of caretaker manager Phil Thompson, he still guided Liverpool to a second-place finish in the league that season. Houllier returned to managing after five months, though his health was still affected.
In the 2002–03 season, Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League. This meant they missed out on the Champions League. Some people criticized Houllier's new player signings that year, saying they didn't perform well. However, in March 2003, Liverpool won the League Cup Final by beating Manchester United 2–0. In October 2003, Houllier made Steven Gerrard the club captain.
Despite spending a lot on new players, Liverpool didn't challenge for the league title in his last two seasons. Fans also felt the team's style of play was not exciting. These factors led to Houllier leaving Liverpool on 24 May 2004. He left by mutual agreement with the club. He was replaced by Rafael Benítez.
Success with Lyon
On 29 May 2005, Gérard Houllier signed a two-year contract to manage Lyon. Lyon had just won their fourth French league title in a row. Houllier's goal was to help them succeed in Europe, especially in the Champions League.
Lyon continued to dominate the French league under Houllier. They won the Ligue 1 title in 2006 and the Ligue 1 title in 2007. They also won the Trophée des Champions in 2005 and 2006. However, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Milan in 2006. In 2007, they lost to Roma in the first knockout round. Houllier also lost a cup final to Bordeaux.
On 25 May 2007, Houllier stepped down from Lyon. He felt he needed a break after two intense seasons.
Return to French National Team and Aston Villa
Houllier returned to his role as technical director for the French national team in September 2007. He advised the French Football Federation to keep manager Raymond Domenech, even though the team performed poorly in UEFA Euro 2008. This decision was criticized when France was eliminated early from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
On 8 September 2010, English Premier League club Aston Villa announced Houllier as their new manager. His first match in charge was a League Cup game against Blackburn Rovers on 22 September, which Villa won 3–1. Gary McAllister became his assistant manager.
Houllier's time at Aston Villa was challenging. The team faced many injuries to key players. They struggled in the league, winning only one of their first ten matches. In November 2010, he signed experienced player Robert Pires. By January 2011, Villa was near the relegation zone. Fans showed their frustration during matches.
In the January 2011 transfer window, Houllier signed several new players. These included Kyle Walker, Jean Makoun, and Darren Bent, who broke the club's transfer record. After a difficult start, Villa's form improved, and they climbed up the league table. However, they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City.
On 20 April 2011, Houllier was admitted to hospital again after falling ill. His condition was stable, but he could not manage the team for the rest of the season. Gary McAllister took charge. On 1 June, Houllier stepped down as Aston Villa manager by mutual agreement. In his only season, Villa finished ninth in the league.
Later Career and Passing
From July 2012 until his death, Houllier served as the head of global football for Red Bull. In this role, he was responsible for several football clubs owned by Red Bull, including Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, RB Leipzig in Germany, and New York Red Bulls in the United States. He also oversaw their football academies. In November 2020, he became the technical director for women's football clubs Lyon Féminin and OL Reign.
Gérard Houllier passed away on 14 December 2020, at the age of 73, in Paris. He died after undergoing a heart operation. Many people in the football world paid tribute to him. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said Houllier was "more than just a manager" and helped shape him into "a better player, a better person, a better leader."
Managerial Statistics
Gérard Houllier managed several teams throughout his career. Here is a summary of his record:
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Liverpool (with Roy Evans) | 1 July 1998 | 12 November 1998 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 38.9 |
| Liverpool | 12 November 1998 | 24 May 2004 | 307 | 158 | 75 | 74 | 51.5 |
| Lyon | 2 June 2005 | 1 June 2007 | 108 | 69 | 25 | 14 | 63.9 |
| Aston Villa | 21 September 2010 | 1 June 2011 | 39 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 35.9 |
Honours and Awards
Gérard Houllier won many trophies and received several awards during his career as a manager.
Team Honours
Nœux-les-Mines
- Division 3 Group North: 1978–79
Paris Saint-Germain
- Division 1: 1985–86
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2000–01
- Football League Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03
- FA Charity Shield: 2001
- UEFA Cup: 2000–01
- UEFA Super Cup: 2001
Lyon
- Ligue 1: 2005–06, 2006–07
- Trophée des Champions: 2005, 2006
France U18
- UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1996
Individual Awards
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001
- European Coach of the Year—Alf Ramsey Award: 2001
- World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2001
- Onze Mondial Coach of the Year: 2001
- Ligue 1 Manager of the Year: 2007
- Premier League Manager of the Month: December 1999, March 2002, October 2002
Special Recognitions
- Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur (France's highest award): 2002
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (UK award for his contribution to British football): 2003
Images for kids
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Gérard Houllier at Old Trafford in 2008
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See also
In Spanish: Gérard Houllier para niños
- List of UEFA Cup and Europa League winning managers
